Have you ever been told you are the temple of the Living God? Have you been told this and then referred to 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 to prove this point?
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
I am writing this post to ask if this is an accurate interpretation of this text? To claim that we individually are the temple of God.
Over the years of my journey with Christ, this is how this passage has been taught to me on countless occasions by many different teachers. It was the passage my youth leaders, from the days of my youth, would use to help me recognize the sacredness of the human body, and how we should treat our bodies, and others, with respect and dignity. Of course, this is true and we should treat our bodies, and others, with respect and dignity. We learn this way before this point in the sacred Scriptures in Genesis 1:27,
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
This is why we should treat our bodies, and others, with respect and dignity. For we are made in the image of God, which is something that is taught in Bible-believing church traditions. This is good and true teaching about the human body, and should never be taken out of our passing of the faith to future generations.
However, many point to this passage in 1 Corinthians 3 when they discuss the sacredness of an individual human body. Stating we are the temple of the living God. In fact, this is teaching permeates throughout our culture, because it is the teaching we have taught about this passage. You, individually you, are God’s temple.
There is a meme floating around on Facebook on both Christain and nonChristian profiles that proves this point.
What if Paul wasn’t talking about an individual being the temple of God? What if Paul was talking about a group of people? In other words, a community of people set apart to bring glory and honor to God. A community of people who through their collective actions, purpose, and mission would show people the truth of God. A community of people known as the Body of Christ, the Church.
In this day and age, individualism is one of the greatest threats we face in Christianity because Christianity is meant to be a communal faith. From its very foundations upon Christ, we recognize Jesus calls a community, not an individual. In understanding this simple truth of the Christian faith I would challenge myself and fellow Christians to abandoned the individualistic interpretation of this passage, from First Corinthians, understanding that it in itself can be deconstructive to the communal nature and values of the Church. Not that the teaching is bad in itself when applied appropriately. Rather, because the teaching isn’t holistically accurate to the context of what Paul is writing about and in this fuels our individualistic natures personified by our present age.
Yes, I just said we take this passage out of context to say something good, and even though it says something good it can be deconstructive to the very nature of who we are supposed to be the Church.
What is the context of this passage then? What is it we should derive from a reading of it?
We should interpret this passage communally. As in, we should interpret this passage as it pertains and speaks to a Christian community. Not a Christian individual. In particular, Paul is addressing the church. The church in Corinth. He is talking to the whole community, not a single individual. He is also addressing divisions that had formed in the church and is attempting to encourage them to join together again in unity with one another. He will continue this teaching later in his letter when Paul addresses the church and reminds them they are indeed the Body of Christ. No single member, sectarian group, or faction in God’s church represents His body. Only the whole church community united together represents the fullness of the Body of Christ.
Therefore, the “you” who is addressed in 3:16 is the whole church. A proper reading of this passage in an understanding of its context would be,
“Do you (the church) not know that you (the church) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you (the church)? If anyone (an individual) destroys God’s temple (the church), God will destroy him (the individual). For God’s temple is holy, and you (the church) are that temple.”
In other words, Paul’s is attempting to show the people in Corinth, and us, we together as one represent a holy and set apart dwelling of God’s Spirit. We together as one represent the temple of God. We together as one are the Church. Not one individual, but the very community of faith. It is the community that makes the church. It is the community that is the temple. Yes, we individually, are a part of this temple, but we are only a part, not the whole. There is no part in God’s Spirit for us if we are apart from the temple, His body, His Church.
We can also understand from this passage whoever tries to divide, teardown, or destroy God’s Church, the community of faith, is condemned to be destroyed by God. This is a call to us the Church to live in harmony with one another. To give up our individualism to be a part of a greater calling, a greater community, the Church.
To steal a passage to summarize this from Romans 12:18,
“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
Our call is to the community, in this community we are called to stand united, and in our unity, we truly do become a set apart temple for the very Spirit of God. A Spirit who moves in and through us. A Spirit who connects us deeper than before. A Spirit who makes us the Church, the Body of Christ, the very temple of God.
What is one thing we can begin to do today to live out this most excellent reality of community?
What is one thing we can do today to abandon our individualistic interpretation of this passage and take on a more communal approach to its reading? In other words, how can we begin to live in harmony and peace with one another in the church, to be the church, and to be a part of this wonderful dwelling of God’s Spirit?
Comments
2 responses to “Changing Our Perspectives: You Are God’s Temple”
It’s an important lesson to say not only the human body nor the body of Christ have stains that the world produces. God is so rich in raising the perfect child in His own image. God nurtures and develops us and it’s only our sin that limits us from being. But wait, repentance is necessary for freedom and a move forward toward the Saviour that we want to abide with.
Exactly on point. The purpose of this is to draw out the nature of what abiding in Christ looks like as taught to us by the Apostles. We are brought into the Body of Christ through the profession of faith and repentance of our sins. In this body, we abide in Christ who is the head. We spur one another on and build one another up to grow into this relationship in Christ through our communion with Him and others in His body.
If we do not belong to His body, the community of faith, the Church, we don’t abide in Him. We need to be part of the community to grow in Him and be transformed by Him. To truly be His temple means to be part of His body, thusly making us part of His temple.